[yt_dropcap type=”square” font=”” size=”14″ color=”#000″ background=”#fff” ] T [/yt_dropcap]he latest attempt to obstruct justice and to damage the inquiry of Congress by the White House is the blocking of former acting attorney general Sally Yates from testifying to Congress in the House investigation of links between Russian officials and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

It has surfaced in the Washington Post that the Trump administration considers much of the testimony of Yates barred from discussion in congressional hearings because the topics have been declared covered by presidential communication privilege. If that assessment, together with water being carried for the White House by Rep. Devin Nunes, does not strike the average observer as interference with the probe or throw dust on behalf of Trump, nothing does. Calls for Nunes’ recusal are increasing by the day.

Senator John McCain, a republican senator, has already expressed his consternation and declared that there needs to be a lot of explaining to do, or the Congressional committee will lose its credibility. As it is, another shoe drops every few days. He has advised that due to the seriousness of the allegations, an independent select committee be organized that forces Nunes to reveal his source.

Meanwhile Trump’s approval rating is down to 35% while support for an independent commission keeps rising (66% want an independent commission, almost two thirds of all the people). This is necessary, otherwise, as Sen. Lindsey Graham has observed, we’ll have Nunes going on a lark by himself, not too dissimilar from Inspector Clouseau investigating himself.

Professor Paparella has earned a Ph.D. in Italian Humanism, with a dissertation on the philosopher of history Giambattista Vico, from Yale University. He is a scholar interested in current relevant philosophical, political and cultural issues; the author of numerous essays and books on the EU cultural identity among which A New Europe in search of its Soul, and Europa: An Idea and a Journey. Presently he teaches philosophy and humanities at Barry University, Miami, Florida. He is a prolific writer and has written hundreds of essays for both traditional academic and on-line magazines among which Metanexus and Ovi. One of his current works in progress is a book dealing with the issue of cultural identity within the phenomenon of “the neo-immigrant” exhibited by an international global economy strong on positivism and utilitarianism and weak on humanism and ideals.